Parking
Start at Darby River Carpark, the published access for the walk. Toilets and picnic tables are available there.
Overview
About Darby Beach Walk
Why go
- A short sandy approach to a small beach between rocky headlands
- Toilets and picnic tables at the start
Heads up
- The unpatrolled beach has strong surf and currents
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Wilsons Promontory map
Full mapElevation0–18 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Wilsons Promontory alerts
- ClosureSouthern area closures and October deer-control restrictionsDo not enter the listed southern visitor areas during their closures, and plan around the October aerial deer-control operation.Official details
- InfoEntrance traffic management and delaysAllow extra travel time and follow traffic controls at the Wilsons Promontory National Park entrance.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Wilsons Promontory Tour Guide
Your drive to Darby Beach Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Wilsons Promontory National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Darby River Walks to Tongue Point0:00 / 0:28
“You're approaching Darby River Carpark, where the Tongue Point walk crosses an old sand dune before heading toward granite sea cliffs. It's 7.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Wilsons Promontory Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Plover's Bare Sand Nest
- What the Shell Layers Hold
- Prom Wildlife Viewing Area
- Sparkes Lookout from Darby Saddle
- 22 audio storiesacross Wilsons Promontory’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Wedge-tailed Eagle, Koala, Bare-nosed Wombat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 36 trails, 46 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Darby Beach Walk
Is this a good short walk?Darby Beach Walk is an easy 1.1 km (0.
Darby Beach Walk is an easy 1.1 km (0.7-mile) walk each way from Darby River Carpark to the beach, or 2.2 km (1.4 miles) return. Allow about 40 minutes for the full out-and-back. The sandy path follows Darby River toward the sea, ending at a small, exposed beach between rocky headlands and ancient dunes. It’s a quick way to get to the coast and look for shore birds; choose it for that beach stop, not for a long hike.
Where the track endsThe path winds beside Darby River as it makes its way to the sea.
The path winds beside Darby River as it makes its way to the sea. At the end, the beach is open to surf, with rock at both ends and ancient dunes behind it. Parks Victoria notes shore birds here, so the shoreline is the thing to linger over. For a photo, frame the sand with both headlands; stay off the dunes and unstable sandstone cliffs.
Start and safetyStart at Darby River Carpark and return the same way. The carpark has toilets and picnic tables.
Start at Darby River Carpark and return the same way. The carpark has toilets and picnic tables. It’s a Grade 2 easy walk, but the beach is unpatrolled, with strong surf and currents. Dogs aren’t allowed in the park; don’t climb the fragile dunes or unstable cliffs.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Wilsons Promontory
18 sightingsWedge-tailed EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
29 sightingsKoalaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
774 sightingsBare-nosed WombatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
291 sightingsEastern Grey KangarooMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
512 sightingsSwamp WallabyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
20 sightingsIndochinese Hog DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Wilsons Promontory. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
